Carolina Panthers select Travis Dye
- Running Back | USC
Running back might not be a need for the Carolina Panthers right now. But it could be a completely different story next year.
D’Onta Foreman is out of contract and Chuba Hubbard is hanging by a thread after an indifferent rookie campaign. That’s without mentioning the injury concerns surrounding Christian McCaffrey, who needs to be fit and firing on all cylinders after featuring just 10 times over the last two campaigns.
Hopefully, McCaffrey can return to the health of old. This would allow the Panthers to build around the All-Pro even if a new regime comes on board in time for the 2023 season.
Finding running backs later in the draft is easier than most positional groups. Travis Dye got everyone’s attention with 1,673 all-purpose yards and 18 touchdowns with Oregon in 2021 and his transfer to USC this offseason brings an added layer of intrigue.
The former three-star recruit isn’t elite in any category. But he does everything well apart from pass blocking, which is suspect and needs substantial work.
Providing Dye can carve out a prominent role for himself on the Trojans, he should benefit from being within Lincoln Riley’s system enough to hear his name called during the 2023 NFL Draft.